Should Special Forces & Spec. Ops. be exempt from certain Army Standards?

Of course not! We should adjust the Army to adhere to Special Forces and Spec. Ops. standards. Give every soldier the equal opportunity to look like A or B :)

I have had the privilege to work with some of the SOF community. &nbsp;You will never find a more ready unit anywhere. &nbsp;As for standards? &nbsp;If their mission dictates a full beard and never using your last name or rank and they need to stay in that mind set then so be it. &nbsp;WE as NCOs should focus more on the Soldiers in our ranks and the standards falling year to year than those that put their lives in harms way daily and rarely get the limelight.<div><br></div>

We are absolutely upheld to the standards of AR670-1, Unless there is an operational requirement to deviate. If that is the case, we have a written order from an 0-5 or higher.<div>When you say standards, do you mean just 670-1 standards, or are you talking all Army standards.. From my experience, my team is required to meet all Army standards, whether it be PT, 670-1, Counseling, NCOER, NCOPD, marksmanship, UPL, DUI, Military drivers license, care of equipment, accountability (personnel and equipment).. you name it.</div><div><br></div><div>I have experienced both sides of the fence, and I will tell you first hand the average Special Forces Soldier takes standards very serious. In all aspects of our work. I feel this is what separates SF Soldiers from a lot of other Soldiers in our ranks. The level of responsibility that a SSG has in SF requires him to take standards personal, because if we deviate on the standards then we have the possibility for a National or Strategic level effect. Most Soldiers do not have this level of responsibility as a young SGT or SSG.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The bottom line is, A standard is a standard...&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>vr</div><div>SFC Smith</div>

The key consideration is the operational environment.&nbsp; The good SF soldier should know when it's necessary to be in what were once called "starches and spits" and when such matters are trivial.&nbsp; As for relaxed grooming standards, they're typically approved by an O-6 and usually as an FP measure.<br>

There is a time and place for everything! Would you give a medic a negative counseling statement for being out of uniform because he used his shirt as a bandage for a casualty?? No you wouldn't even thought the regulations say you should.<div><br></div><div>I have had the opportunity to train as part of an ODA and deployed with two different ODAs, and contrary to popular belief these guys are not cowboys. Their moves are calculated and precise, if they need to look like American soldiers they will be in regulation per their command teams orders. If they need to look the opposite they do, also per their command. &nbsp;They are not doing it to push the rules, or be different, they are doing it because it is part of their skill set. Even the simplest thing like hands in the pockets, calling one another by first names, no parade rest or saluting unless absolutely necessary. You see it all day every day in the SOF community. No one says anything. Unconventional Warfare, is as much a state of mind and muscle memory as it is anything.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;If you take a regular army soldier and a SOF soldier shave head and clean shave both, have them separately talk to one person for 20 min then afterwards ask that person which one of those was a soldier, they will choose the regular Army guy 9 out of 10 times. Not because of haircut or shave, because of mannerisms and speech. &nbsp;You cant expect these men to act like super squared away extreme regulation soldiers like regular army guys, because their job is to blend in not stand out. &nbsp;Its something you are taught when studying UW. Dress and appearance are the obvious ones, but anyone can change clothes, grow hair and not shave. Its not having those other tell tell signs of being a soldier that can save your life.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>As a regular Army soldier your first instinct when approached by a senior NCO is parade rest. Imagine that muscle memory kicks in while you are conducting pilot team ops in a foreign country where you must keep a low signature(or no signature at all), you not only endanger your team but the entire mission. You may not get shot on spot by a sniper, they may follow and observe you for months instead exposing your whole team and the whole organization you are working with just by seeing that one instant of military in you!! Patterns of life are hard to train out of someone, that is why they are allowed to look and act different. There is a reason for the madness, a very well warranted reason.&nbsp;</div>

Leave the Army best kept secret alone. I enjoyed my sideburns and longer hair when I was in usasoc.

I really do not have any problem with SF Teams having to blend in and have different grooming standards.  If a Team is aboard for a Deployment, however, when they are are on my ship, I do have a hard time with being on the mess decks in ragged, unkempt PT attire that does not look or smell good.  I have jumped all over their chiefs because of this lack of personal hygiene on the part of their Sailors and they in turn have taken care of the idiots who embarrassed their unit.  Grooming is different, but dress and hygiene aboard ships and stations should still meet the standards of the community.  As a good host, if you are here for a short stay or after a combat stop, that is different from a long term deployment.

The Special Forces and Special Operations should be exempt in order to fit their own needs and missions.    Let them do their thing, so we can do ours.  

I think the majority of them do stay with in the standard. At least the ones I've seen here on Bragg. I walked by a full bird with his green beret the other day and he was sharp! If I become a CSM and see a Spec Ops soldier all messe up I would not say a thing. He earned that right.